Jose Ramos being taken into custody after his release from a Pennsylvania state prison.Christopher Sadowski

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A sex offender jailed in northeastern Pennsylvania says he’s tired of being linked to the 1979 disappearance of a New York City boy whose case helped mobilize a nationwide missing-children movement.

Jose Ramos was for years the prime suspect in the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. Another man, Pedro Hernandez, has since been charged in Patz’s death and faces trial, but a civil court once held Ramos responsible. He denies involvement.